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MONDAY — Get a Grip on Grace
Today’s Big Point: We can rest in the knowledge that it is God’s grace alone that will see us through this life and into the next. The Book of Ruth reveals a vivid picture to the church of God’s unyielding love and grace for His people.

Ruth gave up everything when she left Moab behind, but she soon discovered that she gained everything back and even more. That’s the way God works. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Ruth lost her Moabitish kindred, but she found a noble kinsman in Israel. She quit the home of her fathers, but she found a heritage among the tribes of Israel. She lost her earthly inheritance, but she obtained an inheritance incorruptible that shall never pass away. Ruth had no way of knowing the illustrious company into which she would enter. Can you imagine? She became a part of the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ. Who could have predicted that?

There is no greater comfort or protection in the entire world than being in the everlasting arms of God. There is no refuge like the refuge at the foot of the cross. There is no better acceptance than acceptance in the Beloved. There is no greater hope than is found in the Blood of Jesus. All we’ll ever need will be found in the resources of our Kinsman-Redeemer. Christ is our Boaz, and we are His Ruth. He invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace.

READ…What does the Bible say?
Romans 3:23; 5:6, 11 (New Living Translation)
23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 6When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners… 11So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Acts 2:21 (NLT)
But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

THINK…Find the answers
The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. (Hebrews 10:1 (NLT))

Read Hebrews 10:1. Can you see the correlation between Ruth’s story and that of the Christ-follower? After reading through the following three events, identify a verse from above (READ section) that parallels each preview (shadow) from the book of Ruth below:
Ruth declaring Naomi’s God as her own, then being grafted into God’s family:

Ruth as a lowly gleaner, an outcast and separate from God’s people:

Boaz offering a redemptive relationship to a helpless Ruth:

Ruth went through some terrible things; but every difficulty, question, uncertainty, and broken heart became God’s way of doing something better than could have happened otherwise. We find the beginning of God’s grace when we come to the end of ourselves.

LIVE…What will you do now?
The book of Ruth is a beautiful illustration of God’s grace, mercy, and redemption. Reading it with Hebrews 10:1 in mind, it reveals the truth of Christ and the church. First, God uses His “Boaz” (Christ) to redeem us. He then requires we become a “Ruth” and follow Him. Finally, God calls us all to be a “Naomi” to the world—to show mercy and love so that the other “Ruths” of this world will want to call our God their own. Ruth was willing to follow Naomi out of the land of Moab, a place of ease and comfort and into the unknown. Naomi must have been a truly loving person for Ruth to choose to follow her with such conviction.
What are some ways we can model God’s love to those around us, giving them a glimpse of the Father’s great love and grace for us?

Ruth unexpectedly went from a despised foreigner and widow to a beloved wife, mother, and member in the lineage of Christ; but it was the grace of Boaz that she was able to lean on when life got tough for her. Can you think of times in your life when you were able to lean on God’s grace to see you through?

PRAY…God, What do You want me to know & do?
Dear God, we come before You thankful—knowing the good work You began in us will continue, and we don’t need to rely on our own strength. Create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us so we can be all You created us to be. Keep in our minds and hearts Your desire that none should perish, but have everlasting life in You. Help us to love what You love and hate what You hate. In Jesus’ holy name I pray, Amen.

DAILY BIBLE READING COMMENTARY: Luke 10
10:1 Commentary authors agree that Jesus used numbers to symbolize different things such as choosing 12 disciples to reflect the 12 tribes of Israel. In this case, the thinking is that Jesus chose 72 (or 70 depending on the translation) to represent the number of elders in Israel as described in Numbers 11:24-25.
10:2 PRACTICAL APPLICATION: It’s summertime at CedarCreek and well, we have areas of ministry that are very low on volunteers due to vacations. However, new people come to CedarCreek week after week to hear the gospel of Christ. How do you think God wants you to respond?
10:2-4 Jesus sent the disciples in pairs so they would be able to encourage, strengthen and keep each other accountable. In addition, the disciples were admonished to not get sidetracked, but to stick to the mission that Jesus had set before them. Not greeting people on the road would indicate the sense of urgency of representing God and not themselves.
10:25 In Jesus’ conversation with the lawyer, Jesus stressed the importance of one’s heart condition over one’s desire to perform good works to obtain God’s favor — a distinction Christ-followers must always challenge themselves to remember even today.
10:25-37 In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells a story of how we should reflect God’s love in action. Ask yourself: “Who is my neighbor?”, and think about whether or not your view of your neighbors is as big as God wants it to be. Did you know that olive oil was used medicinally to wash wounds and wine was used as a disinfectant?